Thirty-eight off-roading enthusiasts who went on an unauthorised off-road trip on Naalumala Hills, near Pushpakandam, at Nedumkandam in Idukki, had to return by foot as their vehicles got stuck in muddy terrain following heavy rains on Friday. The police have seized a total of 22 off-road vehicles.
According to the Nedumkandam police, the people from Bengaluru drove up the Nalumala hills on their vehicles on Friday. Following heavy rain, the vehicles got stuck after covering a distance of about 4 km. With the vehicles wedged, the group left the vehicles and returned to Pushpakandam by foot and sought assistance from local residents. The trekkers were then shifted to resorts near Ramakkalmedu on Friday night. On Saturday, the vehicles were brought down with the help of Revenue and police officials.
The Nedumkandam police have seized the vehicles and booked a case against the drivers for trespassing and violating the District Disaster Management Act (DDMA).
Nedumkandam Station House Officer (SHO) Jerlin V. Scaria said the trekkers connected through a WhatsApp group and reached Nedumkandam on Friday. “The police registered a case against trekkers based on a complaint by the Revenue department. The Nalumala Hills area is Revenue department-owned land, and the off-road route is a hazardous terrain. The off-road trekking is already banned on the hills,” said Mr. Scaria.
“The trekkers said that they got to know about the hills through social media,” said the official.
Local residents said that the authorities have so far not fixed any signboard informing people about the ban on trekking along the route.
However, environmentalist M.N. Jayachandran alleged that many illegal off-roading and tourism activities continued in various parts of Idukki. “The Revenue and Forest department officials have failed to prevent illegal off-road trekking and elephant safari in Idukki,” said Mr. Jayachandran.
